Alvin Sapinsley Movies

In this family drama, a man whose wife has just left him is faced with caring for his children by himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This production closely follows Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter. In Boston, shortly after its founding in 1630, the Puritan citizenry order Hester Prynne (Meg Foster), a beautiful young woman, to wear a scarlet letter "A" (signifying "adulteress") on her dress for life after she bears a child in the absence of her husband, who has delayed his trip to the New World to conclude business. Despite intense questioning, Hester refuses to identify the father, Arthur Dimmesdale (John Heard), a respected minister who cannot muster the courage to acknowledge his sin in public. After Hester's husband (Kevin Conway) arrives unrecognized by anyone but Hester, he, too, fails to extract the name from her. So he assumes another identity, calling himself Roger Chillingworth, in order to ferret out the wrongdoer and gain revenge. Meanwhile, Hester, a seamstress, bears up with dignity even though she and her child, Pearl (Elisa Erali), suffer continual ridicule. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, suffers gnawing guilt, and his health declines. Chillingworth, a scholar familiar with medicinal remedies, provides potions to Dimmesdale while gathering clues that evenutally implicate the reverend as the culprit. All the while, Chillingworth, monomanical in his quest for revenge, becomes corrupt, and Dimmesdale, distraught with remorse, develops heart problems. But Hester, stronger and wiser for her experience, carries on and earns the respect of the people. When Hester and Dimmesdale meet alone, they agree to set sail together and begin anew. But after Dimmesdale delivers a rousing sermon on a holiday, his guilt causes him to mount a scaffold to speak to the people Viewers then learn whether he has finally gathered the courage to reveal himself as Pearl's father. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

Sherlock Holmes in New York is a topnotch TV movie starring Roger Moore (surprisingly effective as Holmes) and Patrick MacNee (an intelligent, compassionate Watson). The Great Detective travels to the Big Apple of the 1890s to thwart arch-villain Moriarty, who plans to devalue the world's gold supply. Holmes is also reunited with his lost love Irene Adler (Charlotte Rampling), whose honesty--or lack of it--is just as much in doubt as it had been in Doyle's Scandal in Bohemia. The film combines the razor-sharp deductions of Holmes with the deeper, darker aspects of his character. Sherlock Holmes in New York underwent numerous script and concept changes while the producers awaited the availability of Roger Moore, who in the mid-1970s was being kept busy as James Bond. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) is both disturbed and perplexed by the appearance of Peter Ibbotson (John R. Ryan, an ex-convict whom the lieutenant had sent to prison. Staying carefully within the limits of the law, Ibbetson begins methodically stalking Kojak and his family just before the wedding of Theo's niece. Clearly, Ryan has revenge in mind--but what exactly is he planning, and how can Kojak figure it out before it's too late? Listen for Kojak's now-famous warning to the slippery villain, which was used repeatedly in the promotional material for the series' first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Four of Ironside begins as the titular wheelchair-bound detective (played by Raymond Burr) begins receiving anonymous phone calls warning him that a "justice" murder will occur. The only clues seem to point in the direction of a disgruntled ex-cop who was thrown off the force in 1955. Whoever the caller is, Ironside must try to remain one step ahead of him to avoid a disastrous denoument. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Matt Weaver (George Segal) returns home after fighting for the South in the Civil War to his home in the New Mexico territory. He discovers that in his absence his ancestral house and land have been sold by Sam Brewster (Pat Hingle), an unscrupulous land developer. Matt tries to kill Sam, but when the attempt fails, Matt barricades himself in the place he once called home. Sam sends for the colorful hired gun Jules Gaspard D'Estaing (Yul Brynner), a well-educated dandy whose mother was a black slave and father was a Creole. Jules is as adept with card and piano playing as he is with a six gun. When Jules gets drunk and tears up the town, Sam tries to make a truce with Matt to get rid of the deadly drifter. Janice Rule also appears, along with Bert Freed in his familiar role as the local sheriff. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide